Hand-truck



Y Patented Aug. 30,1898. L. B. CATHER.

H A N D T R U C K :Appummn med oef` 14, m97.)

(Nn Mbdel.)

STATES HAN D-TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 609,985, dated August`30, .1898.'

Application filed October 14, 'Serial No. `($55,134:. (No model.)

To allv whom, t lmay concern/: l

Beit known that I, LEONARD R. CATHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand-Trucks, of whichthe following is a specication.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of trucksjwhich areprovided at one of their ends with handles and at their other ends withwheelsor rollers and usedl construction, novel arrangement, and opera-Ation of the various parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully setforth and specifically claimed.

In hand-trucks of the ordinary construction and such as are in generaluse the lower end of the frame, or that end adjacent to the wheels orrollers, is usually provided with a nose-iron, which is bent at an angletothe truck-frame and is inserted under the package which is to bemoved. In order to insert the nose -iron under the package, itfrequently requires that the package shall be tilted from the truck andafterward must be drawn back toward the truck-frame and held thereto bymeans of the hand until the truck is in an inclined position. Wheninserting the nose-iron under the package, it often oc curs that thepackage is overturned, thus causing annoyance andextrallabor.

The objects of my invention are, therefore, first, to provide a truck inthe construction of which the ordinary nose-iron is omitted and by theuse of which there will be no liability of overturning the package ornecessity of tilting it from the truck-frame in order to place it on thesame, and, second, a truck of the above-named character which shall beprovided with an adjustable gripping device and which will firmly holdthe package being moved, and thus render it unnecessary to apply thehands thereto.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionpertains to make and use the same, l will now proceed to describe it,referring to the accompanyimgdrawings,`

truck embodying my invention, showing the 'parts thereof by continuouslines in their normal position and by dotted lines one of the positionsto which the tongs or gripping device may be placed. Fig. 2 is a planview vof the truck, showing by dotted lines one of the positions whichthe tongs may occupy when ready to receive or to be engaged with apackage. Fig. Slis a fragmental vievT in elevation of the upper portionof the tongs or grig'iping-levers7 showing a modification in theirconstruction; and Fig. 4: is a fragmental view, in side elevation, ofaportion of one of the side pieces of the frame of the truck,illustrating a modified manner of securing the supportingrod for thetongs or grippingd levers. t i

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the different views ofthe drawings. A represents the side pieces of the truckn frame, whichare provided at one of their ends with handles a, by means of which thetruck is trundled or moved. Near the other ends of the side pieces A andsecured thereto isan axle a', upon which the wheels or rollers a2 aremounted. The side pieces A are secured together by means of cross-piecesb, b',` and b2, the latter piece being located at the lends `of the sidepieces adjacent to the wheels or rollers and has on its front surface anumber of spurs or pointed projections b3, which, as is clearly shown inFigs. l and 2 of the drawings, are somewhat deflected when the truck isin a raised or vertical position.

Secured on the front surface of `the truckframe and usually diagonallytherewith are brace-pieces c, which extend forwardly from the frontsurface of the frame and serve the double purpose of bracing orstrengthening the frame and as a buffer or portion to prevent thepackage resting against and thereby interfering with the movement of thegripping-levers B or tongs, which, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings,are curved in their lower portions and each formed with aforwardly-extending arm B', provided with one or more spurs or pointedprojections b4 to engage the box or package. The upper portion of thegripping-levers B overlap each other `and are pivotally secured togetherby means IOO rear of the gripping-levers and is provided on its rearsurface with one or more handles d2, to be used for raising and loweringthe same. The upper end of each of the gripping-levers is bent laterallyand then rearwardly to form hooks e or overlapping portions for thesupporting-rod E, which is secured on the side pieces A of thetruck-frame.

-Secured to the rear surface of the cross' piece b is a plate e', whichis used to engage the notches e2, formed in one edge of theoperating-rod D, and thus to hold the same in a raised position whendesired.

Secured at one of their ends to the bolt d are springs F, whose otherends are secured to the rear and lower portion of the truckframe, andwhich springs assist in actuating the gripping-levers.

Pivotally secured at one of their ends to the operating-bar D are piecesg, whose other ends are pivotally secured to the gripping-levers belowtheir pivot-point, thus forming a toggle-joint. Instead of forming theupper ends of the gripping-levers B with hooks e to engage thesupporting-bar E, I may provide said ends of the gripping-levers withrollers h, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, to rest and travel on theoperating-bar, as will be readily understood.

In Fig. l of the drawings I have shown a modification in the manner ofsecuring the supporting-rod E in the side pieces A of the truck-frame,which consists in forming the said side pieces with longitudinal slotsd4 to receive the rod E, the ends of which are formed with necks orprojections e3, around and to which are secured springs H, the lowerportions of which rest on and are secured to brackets G, secured to theside pieces of the truck. The foregoing manner of securing thesupporting-rod in position allows it to yield and will thereby relievethe frame and gripping-levers from the immense strain incident to thetilting of the package.

By reference to Fig. l of the drawings it will be seen and understoodthat the gripping-levers are capable of a forward movement, as shown bydotted lines in said ligure, as well as of a lateral movement, as shownin Fig. 2 of the drawings, thus affording a means of securely grippingthe package, and especially barrels, at a point of the best advantage tohandle the same.

The operation of my device is simple and as follows: The truck is placednear the package to be moved, when the frame thereof is raisedsubstantially to a vertical position,

when the' spurs or projections b3 of the crosspiece b2 may-be caused toengage the lower portion of the package, and the grippinglevers 'B maybe separated by raising the 0perating-bar D, when, if necessary, thearms B', carrying the projections b4, may be thrust forward, or to theposition shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, by tilting thelever on the supporting-bar E, on which the upper portions of thegripping-levers rest and move, as has been explained. By releasing theoperating-bar D the grippinglevers will be lowered by reason of theirgravity, as well as by means of the springs F, and

the package, thus securely holding it to the truck-frame and causing itto be tilted therewith when the frame is lowered to the position fortrundling or moving the'same.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination with a truck-frame, of a pair of gripping-levers adjustably secured thereon, and having at their lower endsforwardly-projecting arms provided with means toengage the package, abar to operate said levers and a toggle-joint connecting theoperating-bar and levers,- substantially as described.

2. The combination with a truck-frame, of a pair of gripping-leverspivotally secured together and having at their lower ends means toengage the package, and at their upper ends means to engage asupporting-rod, a supporting-rod transversely secured on the truckframe,an operating-bar having a slot to receive the pivot-bolt 0f the leversand a toggle-joint connecting said bar and levers, substantial'ly asdescribed.

3. The combination of a truck-frame, provided at one of its ends withspurs or proj ections, of a supporting-rod located crosswise LEONARD R.@ATI-IER.

Witnesses:

CHAs. C. TILLMAN, E. A. DUGGAN.

.their projections h4 will engage the sides of l TOO

